Early Research Experience in E-Term

Updated November 19, 2024.

The 2025 EREE summer program is now accepting faculty project proposals:

Faculty Proposal Link (due January 24, 2025)

Student applications will open in C-term 2025. Professsor Rosewitz will notify rising sophomores and rising juniors in C-term 2025 via email.

The Early Research Experience in E Term (EREE) program offers an in-person, on-campus, full-time first research experience to interested undergraduate students who have not yet had an authentic research experience at the college level. The Office of Undergraduate Studies will provide current first and second-year students an initial immersive research experience with a WPI faculty mentor. The goal of this program is to create pathways to deep and meaningful research experiences in STEM fields for undergraduate students.

2025 Dates:

Faculty proposals due January 24
Student application opens February 3 and closes March 1 at 11:59pm
Faculty and students notified of selections at the earliest March 15, at the latest April 15
Program starts May 28 with Summer Research Orientation
Program ends and Summer Undergraduate Research Showcase on July 31

More about EREE

The opportunity to participate in summer research early in their academic career
A paid research experience ($4,500 over 10 weeks)
Close mentoring with a faculty member and graduate mentor
Preparation for additional research opportunities at WPI and beyond
Information and advice about future graduate research and career opportunities
Weekly professional development workshops

Undergraduate students do a full-time, in-person, on-campus educational research position
The 2025 Summer program will be held in-person in labs on the WPI campus
The program runs during E1 and E2 terms
Students attend weekly professional development workshops
Students will showcase their work in a presentation at the end of the summer on July 31, 2025, at the Summer Research Showcase
It is strongly recommended that students do not enroll in IQP, MQP, or other classes at the same time as EREE research, or hold a second day-job or summer-day-job

Undergraduate students are expected to secure their own housing during the summer
However, we have very limited funds to provide a housing subsidy for need-based students.
Recipients of Pell Grants or other WPI need-based scholarships are eligible for the housing subsidy.
Requesting a housing subsidy will not affect a student’s chances of being selected for the program.

Any undergraduate student who is looking for their first research experience
All first or second-year students interested in their first research experience
Students from conventionally underrepresented groups in STEM are strongly encouraged to apply.

Faculty submit a project of a size and scope that is suitable for a student's first research experience
Interested students browse the list of available projects – (list of projects coming soon!)
Students looking for a paid summer research experience submit an application and indicate three (3) projects of interest
EREE Steering Committee makes a faculty-student match

Student application process

Student application available the week of February 3, 2025
Student applications are due March 1, 2025 by 11:59pm ET.
Students should prepare these things before starting the application process:
- Choose three (3) projects of interest from the listing of Project Opportunities. Pay close attention to the project numbers, as you will need these numbers for your application!
- Write a resume – Need help? Contact the CDC for a virtual resume-writing appointment!
- An official or unofficial academic WPI transcript - Need help? Instructions here.
- Agree to participate in the weekly professional development workshops, the Summer Professional Development Series for Undergraduates (SPuDS), weekly throughout the program on Wednesday mornings
- Agree to prepare and present a poster at the Summer Undergraduate Research Showcase on July 31, 2025
- Answer this reflection question:
  - Each student brings a diverse set of skills and experiences (technical and non-technical) to a research group. Please describe three skills that you can bring to a new research group and three skills that you would like to learn or improve upon through a research experience. (Please limit your response to 300 words)
- NO letters of recommendation are needed.

Student Project

Empowering 5G by Enhancing Network Security and Performance

A student team used an open-source framework to simulate 5G environments to prepare for future testing of scenarios like jamming attacks on networks.

Faculty process

The most successful faculty proposals describe a project appropriate for a student who has no prior experience with scientific research.

Faculty mentors will receive $400 toward their professional development fund.

Faculty Expectations Include:

Provide students with an in-person authentic research experience during the E1 and E2 terms
Mentor students in their academic and career goals
Support student’s participation in professional development workshops & programming
Coach students through the process of presenting academic research
Participate in the EREE program Faculty Mentor activities:
- Attend mentor training prior to program start
- Attend the Summer Undergraduate Research Showcase
- Complete the faculty survey afterward

Have Questions?

Contact the EREE Program Director, Professor Jessica Rosewitz at...

jarosewitz@wpi.edu